Chapter 3
RECOGNIZING SPECIAL NEEDS AND MONITORING PROGRESS
OUTLINE
I. What Is Developmental Assessment?
II. Identification
A. Child-Find
B. Screening
III. Determination of Eligibility for Services
IV. Assessment for Program Planning
A. Early Childhood Educator’s Role
V. Program Monitoring and Evaluation
A. Early Childhood Educator’s Role
VI. Changing Philosophies and Practices
VII. The Early Intervention Team
A. Family-Directed Child Assessment
VIII. Use of Standardized Tests with Young Children
A. Cautious Use of Norm-Referenced Tests
B. Considerations for Interpreting Standardized Test Results
C. Importance of Reliable and Valid Tests
IX. Current Approaches to the Assessment of Young Children
A. Building Assessment on Multiple Sources of Information
B. Using Naturalistic Observations
C. Play-Based Assessment
X. Becoming a Skilled Observer
A. Observing How Children Perform a Task
B. Consider the Special Challenges When English Is the Child’s Second Language
XI. Linking Assessment to Curriculum
XII. Monitoring Children’s Progress
XIII. Summary
XIV. Discussion Topics and Activities
ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY
Assessment
Authentic assessment strategies
Child-find
Construct validity
Content validity
Dynamic assessment models
Ecological approach
Ecological validity
Eligibility
Etiology
Interdisciplinary team approach
Multidisciplinary team approach
Naturalistic observation (direct observation)
Norm-referenced tests
Predictive validity (criterion-related validity)
Program monitoring and evaluation
Reliability
Screening
TEST QUESTIONS – CHAPTER 3
Multiple Choice
1. Family-based assessment is most likely to occur when
a. The team is transdisciplinary
b. Family members participate on the team
c. The family history is carefully taken
d. The team is multidisciplinary
2. Norm-referenced tests are not valid if used with
a. Children who are bilingual
b. Children with disabilities
c. Children who have been deprived
d. All of the above
3. The term reliability refers to the
a. Consistency of the environment
b. How well known the test is
c. The dependability of the tester
d. The consistency/dependability of a testing procedure
4. A method of gathering information about children that is gaining favor now is
a. Standardized testing
b. Naturalistic observation
c. Criterion-referenced testing
d. Parent interview
5. Dynamic assessment models
a. Describe the child’s current performance output
b. Gather information from multiple sources
c. Describe the child’s learning style and potential
d. All of the above
6. Curriculum-based techniques are similar to
a. Norm-referenced tests
b. Criterion-referenced tests
c. Play-based assessment
d. Naturalistic observations
7. Play-based assessment includes
a. Child-child interaction, unstructured facilitation, visual acuity
b. Parent-child interaction, visual acuity, structured facilitation
c. Auditory processing, child-child interaction, snack
d. Snack, parent-child interaction, child-child interaction
8. Play-based assessment makes observations in which structures domains?
a. Cognition, social-emotional, communication
b. Sensorimotor, self-help, cognition
c. Self-help, social-emotional, fine motor
d. Fine motor, cognition, communication
9. Greater care is now given in assessment to recognizing the effects of _______ during testing.
a. Ethnic background, previous experiences, region of the country
b. Daily environment, stress , ethnic background
c. Previous experiences, stress, region of the country
d. Daily environment, region of the country , stress
10. An approach in which team members carry out their own assessment and intervention but
there is frequent communication and planning within the team is the
a. Transdisciplinary approach
b. Multidisciplinary approach
c. Interdisciplinary approach
d. Family-directed approach
True-false
1. Criterion-referenced tests compare a child’s performance to a standard or level of mastery of
a skill.
2. A standardized test must always be included in a good assessment.
3. Test scores determine an educational program.
4. Both the environment and people present may influence children’s behavior, and for this
reason no one observation or test should ever be used to predict ability.
5. Predictive or criterion-related validity means whether or not performance on test items can
actually predict actual achievement on another test that is supposed to measure related skills.
6. Intelligence does not vary during the lifetime of an individual. The IQ at 3 is generally the
same at 18.
7. Reliability means that a test measures what it is supposed to measure.
8. Standardized tests are recommended for assisting the teacher in planning appropriate
programs for children.
9. Play-based assessment is considered to be more “authentic” than standardized tests.
10. The primary purpose of most teacher observation is to determine the etiology of the child’s
disability.
Short Answer
observation, parent report, samples of the child’s work, etc.
error.
within natural settings.
Comprehensive Essay
1. Explain the pros and cons of norm-referenced testing.
2. Observations do not always need to be direct observation. Describe some types of
observation samples.
3. What are criterion-referenced tests? Why would they be helpful to early interventionists?
4. Why do we monitor children’s progress? What are some ways to do that?
5. Why is play-based assessment considered to be more “authentic” than standardized testing?
What are some limitations of play-based assessment?
6. Define reliability and validity. How can they be affected if English is the child’s second
language?
7. Differentiate identification, diagnosis, assessment, and evaluation. What are the purposes
of each process?
8. What factors should be considered in selection of a screening instrument for a population
of children?
9. Describe techniques to accomplish culturally fair assessment.
10. Outline the steps you would use in a home assessment of an 18 month old who has been
evaluated and found eligible for services. Be sure to include any special considerations you
would have in assessing a child of this age.
CHAPTER THREE – ANSWER KEY